Switching mechanism



April 15, 1941 L. R. wALLl-:R 2,238,458

SWITCHING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 5, 1939 Dn www 1mm. G m H J .u d.. H l 5 WR A u, WVNMWWWWWWWWWW 5 a@ y W l WW\ l, A s. M

' Patented Apr. l5, 194.1

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swrromNo MEcnmsM Lee B. Waller, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application october 5, 1939, serial No. 298,028 iz claims. r(ci. ,11a- 2154) This invention relates 4to improvements in switching mechanisms and particularly to switches of the cross-.bar type for use in establishing electrical connections.

It is an object of this invention toimprove and simplify switch structures vof this type in general, to reduce the control elements therefor to a minimum, and to increase the utility of switch structures.

Cross-bar switches have heretofore been provided in which a number of contact sets arranged in horizontal rows intersect corresponding number of contact sets arranged in vertical rows with one set yof each kind adjacent each intersecting point of said rows and in which means have been provided including one group of operating members intersecting another group of operating members whereby the operation of one of each of said operating members causes the establishing of a connection rbetween the two sets of contacts at the intersecting points of said operated members. The actuation of said operating members have generally been controlled by individual magnets for each member. In some structures, however, the operating member of one group has been selected and operatively lmoved by a vcommon mechanism controlled by s. single magnet in .a step-by-step manner.

A feature of the present .invention is an arrangement of this general type in which a common cross-bar mechanism controls the movement of one set of operating members and another common cross-bar mechanism controls the movement of the other set of operating members.

Another feature is an arrangement whereby the cross-bar mechanisms maybe operated in steps so that the selection and operation of .the contact sets at the cross-points vmay `be made in succession in any order.

Another feature is an arrangement of the contact sets and the operating members whereby the .movement of an operating member of one set and the movement of the operating member of `the other s'et causes the contact sets controlled thereby to be moved towards each otherA tomake the connection, and whereby the two actuated operating members may remain actuated to maintain the established connection.

This invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing .in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective of aV cross-bar switch structure designed lin accordanfe with the .applicants invention, while Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show various details of this structure to illustrate the operations of the contacts `and the operating members as controlled by the cross-bars.

Referring now to the drawing, the Contact sets may be assembled in horizontal and vertical rows by having the lcontacts of each horizontal row and the corresponding contacts of the vertical rows assembled in a horizontal molding at the rear of the switch structure. That is, a horizontal molding such as l may contain a row of contacts with four .contacts for each cross-point, two from the horizontal row vand two from a corresponding vertical row. `For example, the contacts .at .the cross-point at the upper right-hand corner of the switch structure comprises a pair of contacts 2 for the horizontal row and a pair of contacts 3 for the corresponding vertical row, and similarly two pairs of contacts are provided at each `cross-'point throughout the switch structure. vA horizontal row of contacts may be moved vupward by an operating member I placed underneath said contacts. This operating member is pivoted at a point 5 at the back and near the bar I and may be swung upward to operate on the horizontal contacts! by the projecting ridge 6 yat the front .of this operating member. Similarly the vertical contacts 3 in a vertical row maybe moved downwardly by a sliding operating member l which is provided with pins or rollers 8 that extend from opposite sides of the member 1.

Thus the rotary movement of an operating member I and a downward .sliding movement of Ithe operating member l causes-the connection to ybe Vestablished 4between contacts 2 and 3 as contacts 2 are moved upward and contacts -3 yare `moved. downward. The sliding members 'l maybe supported at their yupper and lower vends by being Ablfurcated and `:sl'idably `mounted .in slots :in the `supporting members 9 and i0, respectively. It is evident that any suitable supporting :frame structure may be provided for the `support .of

the molded bars l land vthe members .3 and ilA 'This bar l-l ,is `provided With spirally varranged pins .l5 so placed that each one in succession when moved by a rotary Ystepping movement `of the bar Il will l.engage and lift .a corresponding lug or roller ll on 4a ycorresponding horizontal operating member 4. The lifting of theoperating member l has been yillustrated in Fig. 2 in which the location of a. pin |6 prior to movement of the roller has been illustrated at I6 and at |62 it has been shown in a position where it has lifted the roller l1 to a position |1 while the next position of the pin |6 has been shown at |63 when the roller is returned to normal position. Thus, therefore, at each operation of the magnet I3 a certain pin |6 will operate on a certain roller to lift the associated operating member 4 which causes a complete row of horizontal contacts to be raised. Similarly a horizontal cross-bar member 20 has been shown rotatable through a ratchet wheel 2| by a magnet 22 operating on the paw] 23. The ratchet wheel is also provided with a holding pawl-24. 'Ihe horizontal cross-bar 20 is also provided with pins 25 spirally arranged to engage lugs 26 on the vertical members 'I in succession as the bar 20 is rotated. This operation has been illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the bar 20 is shown with a pin 25 in the position itoccupies prior to the movement when it will lower the sliding member 1, and the position the pin 25 will occupy when it has moved the lug 26 downwardly is illustrated at 25 in dotted line. position has been illustrated at 26'. At the next rotary step of lthe bar 2|! the pin 25 will slide 01T this lug 26 and release the operating member 1 which will then return to normal under the tension of the contacts 3 in the corresponding vertical row. In Fig. 4 is shown how the contacts are operated to established a connection. For example, contacts 3 are shown in dotted line at 3' as having been moved downwardly by a pin 8 and the contacts2 are shown at 2 as having been moved upwardly as by the projecting ridge 6 on the operating member 4. Thus it Will be seen that this cross-bar structure requires the movement of the horizontal contacts at a cross-point to be moved upwardly and the vertical contacts to be moved downwardly to establish a connection.

This mechanism may be controlled in various manners. It may be operated as a line-finder switch in which case, for example, the rotary vertical cross-bar may be operated to take one step. This will cause a ilnger |6 to operate on a roller to raise an operating member 4 to move upwardly all the corresponding contacts in the corresponding horizontal row. The horizontal cross-bar 20 may then be rotated in steps to operate succeeding sliding operating members to cause connections at succeeding cross-points in this horizontal row and thus test succeeding sets of contacts. After these contact sets in this row have been tested, the vertical cross-bar may be advanced another step to select another horizontal operating member 4 to operate all its corresponding contacts whereupon the horizontal bar 2|) may again be operated in steps to close succeeding connections in this horizontal row. It is evident that in this case the horizontal and vertical cross-bars 20 and need not be returned to any normal condition but when a succeedin connection is desired, all that is required is to operate, for example, only the cross-bar 20 until all of the contacts of a particular horizontal row have been tested and then have the vertical crossbar take another step for testing the connection in the next horizontal row.

This switch mechanism may, of course, also be employed as a selector by having the two bars and""20 in certain normal rotary positions, then operating magnet I3, for example, a particular number of steps as controlled by a digit to select The lug 26 in the lowered a particular row of horizontal cross-points, whereupon the magnet 22 could?. Operated in a hunting movement to select contacts in the selected horizontal row to establish a connection to an idle line. It is evident that in order to maintain a connection established both cross-bars and 20 must remain in the operated position as long as the connection is desired and thereafter be returned to their normal positions. This mechanism may also be employed as a connector in which both the magnets I3 and 22 may be operated individually to make a selection of the proper contacts at the proper row as controlledby digits.. It is also evident that these magnets |3 and 22 may be operated in any order whatsoever to establish connections in succession and in any order through any contacts of the switch. For example, if the magnets |3 and 22 are operatedsimultaneously from a normal position, the contacts will be operated in succession that are located diagonally across the switch. On the other hand, all the contacts in a vertical row may be tested in succession or the contacts in a horizontal row may be tested in succession.

What is claimed is:

l. In a cross-bar` switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, a horizontal cross-bar, a vertical cross-bar, and means controlled by the rotation of said bars for establishing a connection between the contacts at the cross-point of any horizontal row of contacts and any vertical row of contacts.

2. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, twoseries of movable intersecting bars, one horizontal bar for each row of horizontal contacts and one vertical bar for each row of vertical contacts, each bar actuating the contacts in the corresponding row when the bar is moved, a cross-bar intersecting the horizontal bars, a cross-bar intersecting the vertical bars, a ratchet mechanism for each cross-bar, a magnet for each ratchet mechanism for rotating the corresponding cross-bar one step for each operation of the corresponding magnet, spirally arranged pins on each cross-bar so located in relation to the associated horizontal and vertical bars that each pin on a cross-bar Will move a corresponding one of the associated bars for each rotary step of said cross-bar for the operation of the contacts controlled by said horizontal or vertical bar.

3. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, two series of movable intersecting bars, one horizontal bar for each row of horizontal contacts, and one vertical bar for each row of vertical contacts, each bar actuating the contacts in the corresponding row when the bar is moved, a cross-bar intersecting the horizontal bars, a cross-bar intersecting the vertical bars, a ratchet mechanism for each crossbar, a magnet for each ratchet mechanism for rotating the corresponding cross-bar one step foreach operation of the corresponding magnet, spirally arranged pins on each cross-bar and a lug on each of the horizontal and vertical bars', said pins and lugs being so located on the crossbars and horizontal andI vertical bars that each pin on a cross-bar will engage the lug on a corresponding associated bar for each rotary set of said cross-bar for the operation of the contacts controlled by said horizontal and Vertical bars.

4. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, a rotatably mounted horizontal bar for each row of horizontal contacts for operating the contacts in a corresponding horizontal row when a horizontal bar is rotated, a slidably mounted vertical bar for each row of vertical contacts for operating the contacts in a corresponding vertical row when a vertical row is slidably moved, a step-by-step mechanism for selecting and rotating any one of said horizontal bars, a-step-by-step mechanism selecting and sliding any one of said vertical bars for the establishment of a connection between the contacts in the corresponding selected horizontal and vertical rows.

5. In the cross-bar switch structure, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts intersecting said horizontal rows of contacts, horizontal bars, vertical bars, said vertical and said horizontal rows of contacts being so arranged that the rotative movement of a horizontal bar and the slidable movement of a vertical bar causes connections to be established between contacts in corresponding rows at the cross-points of said bars for actuating the corresponding horizontal and vertical bars to close corresponding connections.

6. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contactsy vertical rows oi contacts, horizontal bars and vertical bars arranged to actuate a set of horizontal and a set of vertical contacts at a cross-point by 'the movement of a corresponding horizontal and vertical bar, a cross-bar intersecting the vertical bars and a cross-bar intersecting vthe horizontal bars, and means whereby the rotation of one of said cross-bars causes actuative movements of the horizontal bars in succession and whereby the rotation of the other cross-bar causes the actuative movement of the vertical bars in succession.

7. In a cross-bar switch. horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, horizontal bars and vertical bars arranged to establish connections between a set of horizontal and a set of vertical contacts at a cross-point by the movement of a corresponding horizontal and vertical bar, a cross-bar intersecting the vertical bar, a cross-bar intersecting the horizontal bars, a stepby-step mechanism associated with each crossbar for rotating said cross-bar in steps, and means whereby the rotation of one cross-bar in steps causes actuative movement of the horizontal cross-bars in succession and whereby the rotation of the other cross-bar causes actuative movement of the vertical bars in succession.

8. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts, two series of movable intersecting bars, one horizontal bar for each row of horizontal contacts and one vertical bar for each row of vertical contacts, each car actuating the contacts in the corresponding row when a bar is moved, a cross-bar intersecting the horizontal bars, a cross-bar intersecting the vertical bars. means for rotating said cross-bars, and

means controlled by the rotation of the cross-bar intersecting the horizontal bars for moving the said horizontal bars in succession to actuate their corresponding contacts and controlled by the rotation of the cross-bar intersecting the vertical bars for moving said vertical bars in succession to actuate their associated contacts. the movement of a horizontal bar and a vertical bar causing connections to be established at the contacts of a cross-point of said bars.

9. In a cross-bar switch. horizontal rows of contacts. vertical rows of contacts, two rotatably movable intersecting bars, one bar for the rows of horizontal contacts and one for the rows of ver tical contacts, step-by-step mechanism for rotating said bars in steps, and means controlled by the rotary stepping movement of said two bars for establishing connections between horizontal contacts and vertical contacts at cross-points of the rows of horizontal and vertical contacts each time said bars are operated in steps.

10. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows or contacts, vertical rows of contacts. two intersecting bars, step-by-step mechanism for moving said bars in steps, and means controlled by said bars when moved in steps for actuating said contacts to establish connections at cross-points in succession in any order.

11. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows of contacts, vertical rows of contacts intersecting each other, two intersecting bars. step-by-step mechanism for moving said bars in steps. means controlled by said bars when moved in steps for actuating horizontal rows of contacts and vertical rows of contacts so that for each step of said bars the contacts of a horizontal row and the contacts of a vertical row at a corresponding intersecting point are moved toward each other to establish connections between them at said intersecting points.

l2. In a cross-bar switch, horizontal rows or" contacts. vertical rows of contacts, a single horizontal cross-bar, a single vertical cross-bar and meansl operative in response to the rotation of said bars to move the contacts in any horizontal row and the contacts in any vertical row at any cross-point toward each other to establish a con.- nection between said contacts.

LEE R. fi/ALLER. 

